Gun carriage or mount.



v v PATENTED JAN. 31, 1905, F. MEIGS & R. P. STOUT. GUN CARRIAGE 0R MOUNT.

APPLICATION rum) IAB.6,1901.

' vs'nnms-snnnm 1.

No. 781,541. PATENTBD JAN. 31, 1905. J. F. MEIGS & R. P. STOUT.

GUN CARRIAGE 0R MOUNT.

APPLICATION FILED EAR. 6,1901.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

' PATENTED JAN. 31, 190 5. J. P. MEIGS & R. P. STOUT.

GUN GARRIAGEOR'MOUNT.

APPLIOAIION FILED HAB.6,1901.

I wanna-41mm 3 g, 4 Thu MMGIM,

.No. 781,541. PATENTED JAN. 31, 1-905.

J. F. MB'IGS & R. P. STOUT.

GUN CARRIAGE 0B. MOUNT. APPLICATION I'I LED MAB. 6, 1901.

7 SHEETS-BEBE! 4.

No. 781,541. PATENTED JAN. 31, 1905.

J, F. MBIGS & R. P. STOUT.

GUN CARRIAGE OR MOUNT.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 6, 1901.

No. 781,541. I PATENTED JAN. 31, 1905.

J. F. MEIG'S & R. P. STOUT.

GUN CARRIAGE 0R MOUNT. APPLICATION FILED IAILB, 1901.

I y) E Y a a z 3 15y a "almoum .No. 781,541. PATENTED JAN. 31, 1905.

J. P. MBIGS & R. P. STOUT.

GUN CARRIAGE 0R MOUNT. APPLICATION rx'Lnn 113.6, 1901.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

MZQMMW 9.4? @(MKM JOHN F. MEIGS' AND ROBERT -P. STOUT, SOUTH BETHLEHEM, PENN- Patented January 31 1905.

SYLVANIA, AS SIGNORS TO BETHLEHEM STEEL COMPANY, OF SOUTH BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLYANIA.

Gt" CAF-IRIAGEIFORIMOUNT.

SPECIFICATION formjng part of Letters Patent- No. 781,541, dated January 31, 1905. Application filed March 6,1901. Serial No. 60,111. I

ROBERT P. S'roU'r, of South Bethlehem, in the county of Northampton, and in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gun Carriages or Mounts; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the'accompanying drawings, in which v Figure 1 is a top plan View of a gun-carriageembodying our invention; Fig. 2. aside elevation thereof with the gun in its raised position; Fig. 3, a like view with the gun elevated for firing at a high angle; Fig. 4, an end elevation, the parts being in the position shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 5, a view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of-the recoil controlling and adjusting mechanism; Fig. 6, a detail View in section on the line a: mof Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the lever mechanism for adjusting the recoil -controlling tube. Fig. Sis adetail View, in cross-section, of the recoil-controlling device; Fig. 9, a detail view, in longitudinal section, of the cushioned stop; Fig. 10, a detail view, in vertical section, of the shield-operating mechanism;

Fig. 11, a horizontal section of the same; Fig. 12, a side view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of a recoil-controlling mechanism having adjustment for two positions; and Fig. 13, an end elevation of the same.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures. I

The object of our invention is to provide a mount or carriage for guns that will enable the adaptation of the gun for firing to varying conditions, so that, for example,it may be used asa rapid-fire or a disappearing gun; and to this end said invention consists in a gun mount or carriage having the construction substantially as hereinafter specified.

In the carrying of our invention into practice there is employed a turn-table A, upon the upper side of which are two pairs of standards. B H and H B, which support each a shaft said rods is a piston-rod I having a piston K in a cylinder L upon the turn-table A, and the others are rods M and M having each a head m, that is engagedv by one end of a coiled spring N, that encircles the rod, and whose other end bears against a fixed abutment O on the turn-table. There arepreferably, but not necessarily, four rods and springs, and they are grouped around the cylinder L and inclosed in a suitable housing P. Each rod M is tubular or hollow, and Within it is a guide or'support consisting of a tube 7), fixed to one end of the housing P, that restrains any vibratory tendency of the spring.

Recoil is controlled by the passage of liquid i from one side of the piston K to another, and we vary it to vary the distance traveled by the gun according to theuse to be made of the latter. Thus if the gun is'to disappear or travel between firing position above the parapet and loading position down behind the latter the mechanism that controls the passage of fluid is adjusted to permit the amount of movement of the gun required for this purpose. If the gun is not to disappear, but is to be used for rapid fire, such mechanism is adjusted to restrict the travel of the gun under recoil to the shortestdistance practicable, and if the gun is to be fired at such a high angle that it is necessary, as shown in Fig. 3, to swing, the levers l) and l) to place the trunnion-bearings in rear of a vertical employed for regulating or controlling the passage of fluid; but we prefer that shown,

which consists of a longitudinally-perforated' rod or tube R, passing through the piston K and into a chamber in the piston-rod and having several sets of radial passages or perforations 1' and 4", any one of which sets by the adjustment of the tube may register with a radial slit or passage 2; in the wall of the piston-1 rod, and thus place the interior of the tube R in communication with the cylinder L and through said tube and radial openings 1- and 7* therein the cylinder-spaces on opposite sides of the piston in communication, As the piston-rod and piston movelongitudinally relative to the tube B it will be seen that communication between the cylinder on one side of the piston and the interior of the tube will be gradually and then finally cut ofl, and as there is a set of perforations for each of the various distances which it is desired to have the gun move under recoil and as the sets are of varying lengths it is apparent that the flow of liquid will be stopped and recoil of the gun arrested at a point determined by the respective set of perforations registering with the slit or passage through the pistonrod wall. A hand-lever S on the turn-table A is connected with the tube R to enable it to be adjusted at will, and such adjustment in the case of two sets of perforations is effected by simple .rotation of the tube and in the other case by rotation and longitudinal movement. The lever S has motion in two directions at right angles to each other, in one of which it acts through rack-and-pinion gearing to simply turn the tube and in the other of which it acts, through connection with a collar and pin and spiral groove, to both move.

the tube longitudinally and turn it.

At its lower end the lever S is attached to the forward end of a horizontal rock-shaft T, to whose rear end is fixed a crank-arm U, which is connected by a link V to a rack-bar W, having teeth on its under side that mesh with the teeth of a mutilated pinionX on the rear end of a shaft Y, that extendsinto a rearward extensionr of the tube R. Diametrically opposite each other in the shaft Y are two spiral grooves y and 3 which respectively engage studs or pins 1' and r attached to the tube extension and having a swiveled connection with the rear end of the tube extension is a head or follower Z. Said head or follower is connected by a link A with a crank-arm B, attached to a horizontal rockshaft C, having a crank-arm D, that is con nected by a link E with a lever F, pivoted at the lower end to a bracket a on the turntable A, the pivoted portion of said lever Ff being laterally in line with the lower end of ward.

the hand-lever S, 'so that the latter when' 5' m'oved laterally, as it may do by reason-of its connection with the rock-shaft. T, will move to .and from said lever F. The latter on its side toward the hand-lever S has two studs L and L, between which the hand-lever S may 7 be placed when it is moved'toward the lever- F, so as to cause the latter'and the partsabove described. as connected with: itto be moved back and forward. To enable the lever S to swing backward and forward or in a line in the direction of the axis of the rock-' shaft T, the connection between the lever and w the rock-shaft consists of a block G, fastened to the rock-shaft, to which block the lever S is pivoted. It will be seen that when the I hand-lever S is moved laterally it"will 'turn 7 the rock-shaft T and through the 'rack-and j' pinion connection betweenit and the shaft Y will turn the latter and through the groove-- and-pin connection between said 'shaftYanrL the tube extension 7- will turn the tube; With the handfl'ever in positionbetweentha. studs on the lever -F swinging of. the hand-.- lever in a direction parallel with the axis-ofthe tube R will, through theconnectionube 9 tween said lever T and the head. or follower Z, move the tube R longitudinally and atthe same time cause its revolution bythepassage of the studsor pins 1' and r along the. spiral, grooves y'and y, no rotation. of the shaftX occurring during this movement of the.parts:- The adjustment secured .by shifting the tube R longitudinally is for firing. the gun. at-a: high angle. As it is necessary, asheretofore-- explained, when the gun is-to1be fired.ata.-1'oo high angle to swing the levers D and-z-D rearward, the piston K is accordingly moved for.

' When the gun is used for rapid fire, 001111,- ter-recoil ensues as soonas recoili is completed; but when it is used as a disappearing gun it; is locked in its depressed position-for loading, such locking being done by means of ratchet. teeth f on the segments of the levers-D and D and a pawl H for each set of teeth pivoted to the turn-table A and connected with a treadle I for effecting 'the disengagement of pawlsand ratchets when the gun is tozbe returned to firing position. I

Asthe gun in moving tofiringposition can pass to a point which carries the trunnionbearings of the levers Dand D forward of the vertical plane through the axis of the lever-shafts, it will be evident that-because-of the flexible chain connection-between said levers and the recoil mechanism the gun will fall forward as soon as its trunnion-axis passes; forward of said vertical plane. a To arrest such-- forward fall. there is provided, preferably forv cooperation with each. lever, a cushion stop 5 or bufier' that comprises a hollow-plungeror I cylinder K, movable'longitudin'ally in'a guide. or casing on the turnvtableA, a.piston L,

therein, and a coiled spring M, that presses the cylinder outward from said casing in the path of a radial lug or arm f on the leversegment F. The piston L is on a fixed piston-rod N, and through the piston are several passages controlled by a perforated valve 0. The cylinder contains a suitable fluid, which when the cylinder is projected outward by the spring is between its outer end and the piston L and by the inward movement of the cylinder under the blow of the lug is passed to the opposite side of the piston, controlling tlie inward movement of the cylin der. On the lifting of the lug from the cylinder the latter is quickly projected outward by the action of the spring, the fluid on the inner side of the piston beiifg promptly passed to the other side thereof by the ample opening afforded on the raising of the valve 0, so that the buffer is again in readiness to act. Other means for controlling the flow of fluid can of course be substituted for that'described.

When, as may be desirable in some cases, only two adjustments of the recoil-controlling mechanism are necessary, the construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13 may be employed, wherein provision is made for merely rotatingthe tubes R and R and not moving them longitudinally. In this case a simple lever S is employed, that is mounted on the shaft T and by its movement in one direction or the other rotates the recoil-controlling tubes according to the extent of movement of the gun desired,

To 'permit elevating and training of the gun at a higher level than the turn-table, a platform P is provided, that is supported on posts Q and Q, rising from the turn-table, and to which shafts from the elevating and training mechanisms are extended and provided there'- at with hand-wheels S and T or other operating means. As said mechanisms are not claimed herein,no description thereof is given. The platform P is extended on each sideof the gun, an opening being left for the passage of the gun when it is moved by recoil below the platform. When the gun does not move so far, but is restricted to movement above the platform, as in rapid fire, said opening is covered to provide a standing-place by ametal plate U, which will bend and be dislodged by the gun without damage to the platform should said plate be left in place when the recoil mechanism is adjusted to permit movement of the gun to a position below the platform.

A shield V is provided in front of the platform P, and as it may be desirable to lower it behind the parapet it is mounted so that it may be lowered and raised. To thisend said shield is slidably mounted on two uprights or posts W and W, respectively, on opposite sides of the gun, and for raising and lowering it two vertical rack-bars X and X are attached to it, that respectively extend alongside of the two posts and withv each of which cooperates a pawl Y, that is operated by a lever or lowered, and upon its upper'and lower sides, respectively, are the words Up and Down or other signs to indicate the direction of movement given the shield inview ofthe position of the handle, When it desired to lift the shield, the rocking of the lever by the handle moves the pawl Y up and down, it engaging a racktooth during its upward moving to position for engagement with the next lower tooth when it moves downward,

the shield during the descent of the pawl being held by the detent-pawl A The pawl Y on completingits descent is thrown into engagement with a rack-tooth by a spring-v pressed plunger D against which the lower end of said pawl strikes. pressedv plunger E yieldingly moves the detent-pawl A into engagement with the rackteeth. When it is desired to lower the shield, the position of each of the lever-handles is reversed and the pawlY is movable higher than with the handle in the former position, but not so low. When at its lower limit of mo: tion, the lower end of the pawl, is engaged by a pivoted spring-pressed plate F and the upper end of the pawl thereby freed from and kept out of engagement with the rack, so that on its ascent the pawl may rise without contact with the rack. Carried by the pawl Y is a pin G which as the pawl nears its upper limit of motion strikes one leg of a V-shaped spring H free to rock a limited extent and which by the continued ascent of the'pin with the pawl is moved to place its other leg against a toe a on the detent-pawl A The upward movement of the pawl Y continuing, its upper end engages the hub of the detentpawl and is thereby moved into engagement with the rack, and slightly lifting the latter and the shield and taking the weight ofl of and freeing the detent-pawl A the latter is quickly moved out of engagement with the rack by the spring H which has been placed under a tension superior to the pressure on the plunger E The deten't-pawl being thus freed from the rack,-

the shield is supported wholly by thepawls Y and Y i and on lowering the latter will descend until-the spring H being freed from tension the spring-pressed plunger E is able to act and reen'gage the detent-pawl with a tooth of the rack. This operation being repeated, the shield will belowered by a step-by-step motion. The limited vertical'motion of the pawls Y and Y in each of the operations of raising A similar sprin'g- 8o movement, and thereby raising the shield and TIO and lowering the shield is secured by means means operating on said mechanism whereby,

at will, it may be used as a disappearing or non-disappearing gun, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

2. The combination of a gun mounted to disappear, arecoil-controlling mechanism, and means whereby the latter may be adjusted to prevent the gun from disappearing, substantially as and for the purpose described.

'3. The combination of a gun, an adjustable recoil-controlling mechanism, and means to adjust the latter to stop the movement of the gun at any one of a plurality of positions, substantially as and for the purpose described.

' 4. The combination of a gun, an adjustable recoil-controlling mechanism adapted to be adjusted to check the movement of the gun at I various positions and a lever for adjusting said mechanism movable to any one of a plurality of predetermined positions, substantially as and for the purpose described.

- 5. The combination of a swinging gun-support, an adjustable recoil-controlling mechanism connected with said support, and means for fixing the movement of the gun from recoil to any one of a plurality of predetermined positions, substantially as described. 40

6. The combination of a movablegun-support, a recoil-controlling mechanism, comprising a piston and cylinder, and means for varying relative movement of the latter two to predetermined extents to change the stopping-points of the support, substantially as described.

7. The-combination of a swinging gun-su pport movable by recoilfrom a higher to a lower position, an adjustable recoil-controlling mechanism, and means to adjust said .mechanism to limit the movement ofthe gunsupport to less than the distance between the higher and lower positions of the gun, substantially as described. I

8. Ina recoil mechanism, the combination of a cylinder, a piston, a hollow. piston-rod having a perforated wall, and a tube passing through said piston and into the piston-rod,

and having a perforated wall, substantiallyas and for the purpose described.

9. In a recoil mechanism, the combination of a cylinder, a piston, means for the passage of fluid from one side of the piston to the other, a fluid-regulating device shiftable r01.

tatably and longitudinally to vary the relative movement of piston and cylinder, and means to shift it to predetermined positions, substantially as and for thepurpose described.

10. In a recoil mechanism, the combination of a cylinder, a piston, means for the passage of fluid from one side of the piston to the other, afluid-regulating device comprising two perforated longitudinally-movable parts,:one of which has several openings adapted to successively coact with .the perforation of the other part, and means whereby, at will, one

part may be shifted rotatably relativeto the other part and shifted longitudinally.

11. In a recoil mechanism, the combination of a cylinder, apiston, a perforated chambered part in communication with the cylinder on one side of the piston, and a part within the latter, in communication-with the cylinder on the other side of the piston, and having several openings adapted to successively coact with the perforation of theother part, said openings being of varying extent, whereby the gun may be stopped in predetermined positions, substantially as described.

- 12. In a recoil mechanism, the combination of acylinder, apiston, a perforated chambered part in communication with the cylinder on one side of the piston, and a second perforated chambered part having perforations of varying extent within the other, and in communication with the cylinder on the other side of the piston, one of said chambered parts being rotatable relativeto the other to change the relative position of their perforations wheremechanism, comprising a longitudinally-movable perforated member, means for moving said member longitudinally at will, andasec- 0nd longitudinally-movable perforated coacting member. 1

14. In a recoil mechanism, the combination of a cylinder, 9. piston, a tubular, perforated longitudinally-movable piston-rod, and a longitudinally-movable, perforated tube in the piston-rod, substantially as described.

15. The combination of a gun mounted for firing either as a disappearing or as a non-disappearing gun, and a shield shiftable into and out of position for use,'substantia'lly as described. r

16. The combination of agun mounted for firing either as a disappearing or as a non-disappearing gun, a shield, means for supporting izo it in an elevated position, and means for rais-n from disappearing, and a. shield s'hiftable into and out of position for use.

18. The combination ofagun, an adjustable have hereunto set our hands this 4th dayof recoil-controlling mechanism, means whereby January, A. D. 1901.

the latter may be adjusted to prevent the gun J OHN F MEIGS.

from disappearing, a shield, means for sup- ROBERT P. STOUT. 5 porting it in an elevated position, and means Witnesses: I

for raising and lowering. it. JAMES KERNAN,

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we C. O. BRUNNER. 

